- 1 [countable, usually singular] look (at somebody/something) an act of looking at somebody/something Here, have a look at this. Take a look at these figures! Make sure you get a good look at their faces. One look at his face and Jenny stopped laughing. A look passed between them (= they looked at each other). It's an interesting place. Do you want to take a look around? We'll be taking a close look at these proposals (= examining them carefully). Synonymslookglance gaze stare glimpse glareThese are all words for an act of looking, when you turn your eyes in a particular direction.look an act of looking at somebody/something:Here, have a look at this.glance a quick look:She stole a glance at her watch.gaze a long steady look at somebody/something:She felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.stare a long look at somebody/something, especially in a way that is unfriendly or that shows surprise:She gave the officer a blank stare and shrugged her shoulders.glimpse a look at somebody/something for a very short time, when you do not see the person or thing completely:He caught a glimpse of her in the crowd.glare a long angry look at somebody/something:She fixed her questioner with a hostile glare.Patterns a look/glance at somebody/something a penetrating/piercing look/glance/gaze/stare a long look/glance/stare a brief look/glance/glimpse to have/get/take a look/glance/glimpse to avoid somebody’s glance/gaze/stare Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelittle, brief, cursory, … verb + lookhave, take, get, … prepositionlook at, look in, look into, … See full entry search
- 2 [countable, usually singular] look (for something/somebody) an act of trying to find something/somebody I've had a good look for it, but I can't find it. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivegood, little, quick, … verb + lookhave, chance prepositionlook around, look round, look for, … See full entry expression
- 3 [countable] an expression in your eyes or face a look of surprise He didn't like the look in her eyes. She had a worried look on her face. A doubtful look crossed his face. We got a number of curious looks from passers-by. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveangry, black, dark, … verb + lookhave, cast (somebody), dart (somebody), … prepositionlook from, look of phrasesa… look in somebody’s eyes, a… look on somebody’s face, take that look off your face, … See full entry appearance
- 4 [countable, usually singular] the way somebody/something looks; the appearance of somebody/something It's going to rain today by the look of it (= judging by appearances). Looks can be deceptive. I don't like the look of that guy (= I don't trust him, judging by his appearance). Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveoverall, finished, professional, … verb + lookhave, like, achieve, … prepositionby the look of somebody/something, from the look of somebody/something, look about, … See full entry
- 5 looks [plural] a person’s appearance, especially when the person is attractive She has her father's good looks. He lost his looks (= became less attractive) in later life. see also good-looking Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivegood, striking, classic, … verb + lookshave, lose See full entry fashion
- 6 [singular] a fashion; a style The punk look is back in fashion. They've given the place a completely new look. see also wet look Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelatest, new, casual, … verb + lookhave, sport, wear, … look + verbbe back in, be back in fashion, come back in, … See full entry Word OriginOld English lōcian (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to German dialect lugen.Extra examples A panicked look crossed his face. A withering look from his wife silenced him. All the men sport rock star looks. By the looks of it, someone’s already staying in this room. Did you get a look at his new car? Have a look out of the window and see who’s at the door. He caught her look, and shrugged. He darted her a look of contempt. He gave me a funny look. He had classic good looks. He opened the door with a scornful look on his face. He still had a youthful look about him. His comment was greeted by a puzzled look. I didn’t like the look of the salad so I didn’t touch it. I got a black look from Amy. I had a brief look through the report before the meeting. I had a furtive look in her bag when her back was turned. I had a look for websites on Egyptian music, but didn’t find anything. I managed to steal a look at the exam paper. I think it’s time to take a fresh look at our sales techniques. I was given a stern look by a plainclothes policeman. If you take a look over the past few years, it’s not unusual. In this issue we show you how to create a signature look for yourself. Jessica feigned a stern look. Joe isn’t getting much sleep from the look of him. My relatives gave me quizzical looks when I told them the news. Sara returned his look with one of her own. She chanced a look behind her. She couldn’t resist a quick look in the mirror. She decided the property warranted a second look. She had a puzzled look in her eyes. She threw him a dirty look. She walked out of the door without a backward look. She wanted a modern clean look for the apartment. She’s lost her looks. Take a closer look at it. Take that smug look off your face before I slap you! The authors take an in-depth look at at topical money issues. The book concludes with a look towards the future. The book takes a humorous look at parenthood. The book takes a nostalgic look at the golden age of steam trains. The classic look never goes out of fashion. The documentary provides an inside look at life in the army. The finished look is perfect for any special party. The guilty look on his face told us all we needed to know. The jury is expected to get a first-hand look at the murder scene today. The man had a wild look in his eyes. The products have a distinctive look. The two girls exchanged knowing looks. These tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the TV show. They exchanged meaningful looks. They had worried looks on their faces. They’ve given the place a completely new look this year. This is an interesting look at Soviet foreign policy. Tonight, a revealing look at the King of Pop’s thrilling rise to stardom. Use high-quality paper to give your CV a more professional look. We had a good look around the old town on the first day of our holiday. We need to take an overall look at the situation. We used a computer to help us achieve this three-dimensional look. You can complete that sophisticated look with make-up and accessories. You should take a long, hard look at your reasons for wanting to join the army. a behind-the-scenes look at the movie a classic look that is easy to update a fabric with the look of silk his clean-cut, boyish good looks the overall look of the house A look passed between them. He didn’t like the look in her eyes. I don’t like the look of that guy. I like the classic look. I think this could do with another look, don’t you? It’s an interesting place. Do you want to take a look around? It’s going to rain today by the look of it. One look at his face and Jenny stopped laughing. She said she was aiming for a more sophisticated look. Take a look at these figures! The punk look is in again. We need to take a long hard look at all the facts. We’ll be taking a close look at the proposals. We’ve had a good look around downstairs, but can’t find your keys.Idioms
using eyes
to look at somebody in a way that shows you are annoyed with them See related entries: Facial expressions
used to describe the very angry or unpleasant way somebody is/was looking at you If looks could kill, she thought, seeing the expression that came over his face when he saw her, she’d be dead on the pavement. I don’t know what I’ve done to upset him, but if looks could kill…
to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying We need to take a long hard look at all the options.
Check pronunciation: look
